Drying tunnel



Nov. 30, 1937. A. w. DE vour 2,100,838

DRYING TUNNEL Filed Dec. 11, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l D- N Y N BYfM/ ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. W. DE VOUT DRYING TUNNEL Filed Dec. ll,

Nov. 30, 1937.

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DRYI NG TUNNEL Filed Dec. 1l, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I'nu Mi 42am/2 We Z/ozzzL INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRYING TUNNEL Application December 11,1935, Serial No. 53,881

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for directing temperature regulated air currents upon objects within an inclosed area.

One of the objects of this invention is to pro- '5 vide an apparatus in which temperature regulated air currents are directed against objects travelling upon an endless conveyor.

Another object f this invention is to provide a drying tunnel in which the temperature and vi0 velocity of air currents may be readily regulated.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for the temperature treatment of products in which the velocity of temperature regulated air currents is controlled at intermelzi diate points along the path of travel of said products upon an endless conveyor.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for positively directing air currents of predetermined temperature upon the entire outer surface of products of irregular conguration.

Another object o-f this invention is to provide novel means for gradually subjecting products having a tender surface to air currents of gradually changing temperature.

In conventional practice, fowl, after slaughter, are scalded in a vat of warm water and then rough picked, that is, the large feathers and quills are removed. After rough picking, there remains in the skin the usual hair, down, small feathers and pin feathers which must also be removed. A method now common in the art is to coat the rough picked fowl with a congealable compound such as heated wax, which, upon being chilled and stripped off, will carry with it the remaining dermal excrescences.

After rough picking, moisture on the remaining dermal excrescences must be dried before application of the depilating wax to assure proper adhesion. The present invention provides a novel device for drying rough picked fowl which is simple to construct, easy to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.

It will be seen, however, from the description and claims which follow that applicants invention is also adapted for directing currents of chilled air and that the device may be used for chilling the coating of congealable compound after its application to the bodies on the rough picked fowl. p

In the drawings similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar elements.

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the apparatus forming 55 the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view partly in section and partly broken away.

Figure 3 is an end view partly in section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view partly in section taken 5 on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an end view similar to Figure 4.

In the drawings, I represents an inclosure having a bottom 2, side walls 3 and 4, top 5 and rear wall 6, constructed of wood or other rigid mal0 terial. Bottom 2 is supported upon suitable uprights I and 8, resting upon floor 9.

Bottom 2 is inclined upwardly at I0 to join elevated portion II at I2, which elevated portion II extends to open end I3 of inclosure I. End l5 I3 is unsealed except for a small facing I4 at the upper portion thereof and provides suitable ingress and egress for carcasses of fowl travelling uponv endless conveyer I5.

Inclosure I is vertically partitioned at I6 be- 20 tween side walls 3 and 4 providing temperature regulating chamber I'I and a product treating chamber- I8.

Partition I9 extends from the lower end 20 of partition I'B and terminates at a suitable point 2I 25 so as to provide an open space between it and elevated portion II. Partition I9 is secured between side Walls 3 and 4, parallel with bottom 2 and substantially level with elevated portion II. Damper 22 is slidably mounted between bottom 30 2 and partition I9 in guideways provided between members 23 and 24, and 25 and 26, rigidly secured to partition I9 and bottom 2, respectively.

As shown in Figure 2, heat exchange unit 2I, comprising heat exchange elements 28 and fan 35 29, is rigidly secured to partition I6 at opening 30. Unit 21 is provided with fluid inlet 3| and outlet 32 by which a iiuid cooling or heating medium is continuously circulated through coil 28. The flow of fluid through line 3| is controlled by 40 Valve 33. Unit 21 may be of the type described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,911,403, issued May 30, 1933, to Harvey A. Soverhill, entitled Temperature controlling device.

Currents of air set up by fan 29 are directed over coil 28 into product treating chamber I 8. The temperature of the air entering product treating chamber I8 is controlled by the temperature of the fluid passing through coil 28. Fan 29 is rheostatically controlled to regulate the air currents.

Fresh air duct 34 extends from a source of fresh air supply, not shown, and enters chamber I 'I at 35. Damper 36 is mounted within chamber 55 I1 between fresh air duct 34 and temperature control unit 21. Damper 36 is slidably mounted in guideways provided between members 31 and 38, and 39 and 4U, rigidly secured to rear wall 6 and partition I6, respectively. Dampers 22 and 36 are each controlled from the exterior of side wall 3.

Partition I9 and bottom 2 dene an air duct through which air may be drawn from the forward end of product chamber I8 and recirculated through temperature control chamber I1. The volume of recirculated air and fresh air for admixture therewith is controlled by operation of dampers 22 and 36.

Conveyor I5 enters open end I3 in the direction shown by the arrow indicated by the numeral 4 I, and continues substantially the full depth of product chamber I8, whence it makes a U turn at 56 to pass outwardly from chamber I8 in the direction shown by the arrow indicated by the numeral 42. Conveyor I5 consists of trolley rail 43 bolted or otherwise secured to beams 44. Beams 44 are secured by bolts 45 to cross beams 46 rigidly secured between side walls 3 and 4.

Straps 41, mounted on trolley wheels 48, are impelled on conveyor I5 by driven chain 49. Chain 49 is mounted at critical points upon sprocket wheels, such as wheel 52, at which conveyor I5 makes the U turn at 50. Sprocket wheel 52 is rotatably mounted upon hub 5.3, bolted or otherwise secured to cross beam 54. Cross beam 54 is rigidly secured between side walls 3 and 4.

Carcasses of fowl 55 are carried upon conveyor I5 by shackles 56 depending from straps 41. Shackle 56 is of the type more particularly described and claimed in my patent entitled Poultry shackle, No. 2,035,948, issued March 31, 1936.

A plurality of fans 51 are rigidly secured above conveyor I5 by brackets 58 and 59, bolted or otherwise secured to beams 44 and 60, respectively. Fans 51 are mounted at substantially 45 degrees to provide an air displacement in the direction of open end I3. A portion of the air directed over elements 28 is drawn upwardly by fans 51 for positive deflection against the carcasses 55 traveling on conveyor I5. Fans 29 and 51 are preferably controlled by a master switch of the rheostatic type, such that the velocity of the air currents will be uniform throughout chamber I8, but if desired each may be individually controlled.

Doorways 6I and 62 are provided in side walls 3 and 4 opposite the fans 51 and 29, respectively, to permit access for making repairs and replacements.

I claim:

1. In a poultry treat-ing apparatus including an enclosure having a vertical partition spaced from one end thereof providing a temperature control chamber and a product treating chamber, an opening through said partition and means for admitting air to said temperature control chamber, a heat exchange unit mounted in said temperature control chamber at said opening, means for forcing air currents from said temperature control chamber and through said product treating chamber, a conveying means in said product treating chamber for the carriage of product in the path of said forced air currents and fan means angularly suspended above the conveying means for causing a portion of said forced air currents to be recirculated in a direction downwardly against the product carried on said conveying means.

2. In a poultry treating apparatus including an. enclosure having a vertical partition spaced from one end thereof providing a temperature control chamber and a product treating chamber, an opening through said partition and means for admitting air to said temperature control chamber, a heat exchange unit mounted in said temperature control chamber at said opening, means for forcing air currents from said temperature control chamber and through said product treating chamber, a conveying means in said product treating chamber for the carriage of product in the path of said forced air currents, fan means angularly suspended above the conveying means for causing a portion of said forced air currents to be recirculated in a direction downwardly against the product carried on said conveying means and means for recirculating a portion of the forced air currents from said product treating chamber through said control chamber.

3. In a poultry treating apparatus including an enclosure having a vertical partition spaced from one end thereof providing a temperature control chamber and a product treating chamber, an opening through said partition and means for admitting air to said temperature control chamber, a heat exchange unit mounted in said temperature control chamber at said opening, means for forcing air currents from said temperature control'chamber and through said product treating chamber, a conveying means in said product treating chamber for the carriage of product in the path of said forced air currents, fan means angularly suspended above the conveying means for causing a portion of said forced air currents to be recirculated in a direction downwardly against the product carried on said conveying means and means including an air duct extending from the lower end ofY said temperature control chamber forwardly into said product treating chamber for recirculating a portion of the forced air currents from said product treating chamber through vsaid temperature control chamber.

4. In a poultry treating apparatus including an enclosure'having a vertical partition spaced from one end thereof providing a temperature control chamber and a product treating chamber, an opening through said partition and means for admitting air to said temperature control chamber, a heat exchange unit mounted in said temperature control chamber at said opening, means for forcing air currents from said temperature control chamber and through said product treating chamber, a conveying means in said product treating Vchamber for the carriage of product in the path of said forced air currents, fan means angularly suspended above the conveyingl means for causing a portion of said forced air currents to be recirculated in a direction downwardly against the product carried on said conveying means, means including an air duct extending from the lower end of said temperature control chamber forwardly into said product treating chamber' for recirculating a portion of the forced air currents from said product treating chamber through said temperature control chamber and damper control means in said air duct.

ANSON W. DE VOUT. 

